I am not sure about the origins of this kind of a pickle, but I am sure it is from the state of Andhra Pradesh. Though some parts of the state consume really fiery spicy pickles, there are some who prefer the mildly spiced, not so fiery with a hint of sweet kind of pickle to tickle their taste buds. One such is this Bellam Maagaya.

I got this recipe from my maternal aunt, Smt. Nandyala Sudha Mani. We used to have this pickle as a child but never saw my mom make it at home. It was always parceled to us by my aunt. To this day, she prepares it for the whole extended family (with help from all concerned) and churns out the most delicious one each and every time.

Last summer when we visited her, I grabbed a bottle of this Bellam Maagaya but it was consumed in 2 months and didn't set foot on the US soil :) This summer I decided I should learn this preparation so I could make this and enjoy it with my family here in the US. This would be under the theme ' Regional Specials - Andhra Cuisine' for the sixth day of this BM #6 session 2.

In a big bowl, add the mango slices, salt, turmeric and grated jaggery. Mix them well and keep the bowl covered for 48 hrs. Keep it in a dark corner away from sun light.

After 48 hrs, there would be lot of liquid in the bowl.

Squeeze out the liquid into a separate container and spread the squeezed out mango slices onto a plate/ plastic sheet.

Strain the liquid to remove any impurties.

Sun dry the mango slices and the liquid obtained separately approximately for 2-3 days. The duration depends on the amount of sun exposure. The mango slices need not dry out completely. It is enough if they just wilt.

Heat the oil and add hing and mix it in the prepared bellam maagaya mixture.

Bottle the bellam maagaya and it is ready to be consumed immediately.

Optionally the bellam maagaya can be seasoned with oil, hing, mustard seeds and red chillies just before serving. [ I came to know from my aunt that this step is not optional, it is required to enhance the taste but I chose not to add more oil :)]

This stays good for the whole year and need not be refrigerated [assuming that the climatic conditions are not too humid to cause mold].

Serve the sweet-tangy-spicy pickle with steaming hot rice or with Dosa or curd rice.

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Manchi traditional di post chesaru. I have heard about this but my mother prepares the plain magaya. My husband never touches any sweet versioned pickles and so don't know whether I will be able to make this ever. :)